


Side by Side: The Five Step Manual To Becoming Kai Toshiki’s Platonic Flat Mate

by iceyly



Series: Platonic(?) Flatmate AU [1]
Category: Cardfight!! Vanguard
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-01
Updated: 2014-05-01
Packaged: 2018-01-21 13:56:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1552889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iceyly/pseuds/iceyly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kai/Miwa BROTP Ones-Shot Series | “If your don’t want the keys, you can give back them back.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, the working title of this used to be "How Miwa came to have his own cup in Kai’s place (among other things)”, but since Kai and Miwa are dumb and gross, that kind of evolved beyond that. The actual title is still very fittingly dumb, because goodness those two are such idiots, I don't even-
> 
> But yeah, everything in this fic is set post Link Joker Hen and as of now is going ignore Legion Mate (mostly so I can spare myself the headache of trying to figure out memoryloss shenanigans).
> 
> Have fun~

The very first time Kai invites Miwa over is just a few days after the announcement of the VF Circuit – his path may only be about to take shape in his head, but if there’s one thing he knows for sure it’s that it’s different from Aichi and Q4, away from this city and out in the world; at least for now (there are so many strong fighters everywhere and there is no use challenging himself in the circuit yet, when his heart just feels a tiny little unfamiliar with his Narukami deck ever since his fight with Aichi; for all that his head tells him that he’s played it for years already) – just for a few minutes to show him around, to hand him the spare key and ask him to give the apartment a look every now and then while he’s away.

It turns out to be a good idea, because every time he returns him from world travels and later his travels with Ren and AL4, the apartment is as spotless as he’s left it – even if there is a small potted plant at his window and a cup with a large M in his cupboard when he returns for good; both of which he’s never seen before.

(And though Kai frowns at both at first, he leaves them as they are. He still has Miwa return his keys after the VF Circuit is over.)

——

In retrospective, the second time Miwa is over feels a little like a first – perhaps because rather than Kai inviting him, Miwa invites himself along after school and club and a short trip to Card Capital; but it’s not even a week after Link Joker’s defeat, so maybe it’s also because Kai finds it just a little harder to cut people out than before (and while incredibly stubborn himself, he doesn’t have the strength to outlast Miwa when he’s really trying, not over something like this).

Miwa certainly snoops around like it’s the first time, a pleased glint flickering through his eyes when he spots the M cup, but then he sees the plant (dried up, dark and dead after the weeks of neglect it had suffered during Kai’s reverse), turns around – expression caught between a pout, amusement and mock accusation – and just says: “You killed my plant and now you are just leaving it to rot?”

Kai just shrugs, doesn’t bother to point out that it’s actually _his_ plant as this is _his_ apartment, instead tells Miwa to get out his cards and after one or two or a dozen fights, he just gets up and cooks dinner for two.

(He ignores the widening grin on Miwa’s face as the other puts the cards away, then leans back against his bed and watches him work. As far as Kai is concerned, this is a one-time-thing.

Still, after Miwa leaves he finally disposes of the dead plant, cleans the red pot and puts it back to its place at the window. It’s a nice pot after all.)

——

Somehow over the course of the next month Miwa coming over becomes a regularity and a routine settles into place; homework, cardfights, Kai cooking for two and at some point Miwa starts finding movies for them to watch; with that it’s not really a surprise that one day (the eight visit since Link Joker) it becomes too late to bother Miwa to go home and Kai just sighs and pulls out the spare futon from under his bed. It’s not really a surprise that this starts to become a more regular occurrence after that night either.

(And somehow, Kai finds, it bothers him a lot less than he thinks that it should; than it certainly would have _before_.)

——

Of course, with Miwa’s increased stay overs, it becomes sort of inevitable that he finds out about the nightmares; for all that Kai likes to think he has those under control and that he doesn’t care if Miwa knows, he’s still just a little uncomfortable with the thought (and proceeds to block it out, because it’s not like he can do much to stop it, if it happens).

And it’s not that Kai doesn’t know nightmares; he’s had his fair share over the years – right after the accident, after his fight with Ren (both of them), during the National Tournament and his training to knock Aichi out of his Psyqualia-induced craze and after the incident on Cray; but those had been different, those he’d always just dismissed upon waking and mostly forgotten by the time he’d reached school. Those had been _before_ ; before Link Joker, before he had given in to the alluring call of power other than his own himself, willingly pulling other people with him into the Reverse, almost bringing about the end of the world in his quest to explore the limits of his new found strength – and now, _after,_ he’s been left with nightmares of a new intensity; dark and vivid like never before.

He finds himself stabbing himself, cutting off parts again and again and again, or watches Aichi fall before the might of his Link Joker deck, doesn’t leave as the reverse take place (only this time there are no miracles that halt the effects), dreams of a world that belongs to Link Joker and sits up with a sharp breath, eyes wide awake but unseeing of the world around him, his mind still trapped in the nightmare and the darkness around him and usually it feels like an eternity until he comes to recognizes the small red light burning beneath his TV’s screen and properly catches a grip of his surroundings.

Except that this time, there is someone shaking at his shoulders, a voice calling his name – Miwa; it’s the fifteenth time he’s come over and the third time he’s stayed the night – and the light of his desk lamp brightening the room and the combination of all three is enough to drag him back to reality, has him shudder at the bitter taste in his mouth and let himself fall forward to lean his forehead against Miwa’s shoulder so he doesn’t have to see that concerned frown on his face and he’s eternally grateful that Miwa doesn’t ask what he isn’t sure how to put into words (for all that it’s because he probably knows anyway). He doesn’t know how much time passes until Miwa moves to turn off the desk light again, pulls him wordlessly down to the futon and Kai doesn’t complain or resist as they end up in a tangle of limps and blankets because that futon wasn’t really meant to accommodate two and drifts away thinking that it’s actually kind of nice not be alone for once in a moment like this.

In the morning he wakes to the feeling of sunlight tickling his skin, the sounds and smell of something frying in his pan and is greeted by the sight of Miwa making omelets in his kitchen – he grins as if the last night didn’t happen when he spots Kai awake and says: “I don’t know about you, but I always feel like I’m starving in the morning. Can’t miss the most important meal of the day!” which is probably meant to be his not-so-subtle-stab about Kai’s morning habits and their usual lack of eating anything substantial.

(Kai glares disgruntled before he lets his head fall back into the pillow, stares up at the ceiling for another minute or two, watches the sunlight reflect from the empty, red pot at his window and thinks that maybe it’s time to get Miwa a new plant.)

——

At some point Kai stops counting how many times Miwa comes over and how many times he stays the night, just raises an eyebrow when he notices the second toothbrush or the sets of spare cloths that find there way into his apartment and wonders if they ought to talk about this at some point (if he was anyone else, he would probably ask Miwa at this point if his parents know that he is moving in), but then again… it’s not like he actually minds; for all that his place is really too small for two people to live really comfortable together.

For now it works just fine in his opinion, Miwa will be sure to nudge at him if he ever starts thinking otherwise and maybe by that time Kai won’t be entirely averse to the idea of moving together properly.

(Right now though, he’s content making dinner for two while watching Miwa add the rest of his name to the M cup from the corner of his eye – as if it wasn’t his already – smiles to himself when he catches the glint of the spare key he’s left stuck in the earth right beneath the yellow blooming plant at his window and wonders just when Miwa will consider it the best moment to stop pretending that he hasn’t noticed and kick up way more of a fuss than the gesture deserves.)

\--- _Fin_ \---


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Companion piece to the first fic - told from Miwa's PoV, which demands dialog as well as over twice the wordcount somehow. orz

The very first invitation to Kai’s place really comes a surprise to Miwa – pleasant, very pleasant of course, but a surprise still considering that he’s been bothering Kai about it pretty much ever since he’s come back (just small nudges, just a comment here and there to make sure that Kai knows that hey, he’s curious and he’s also invested in Kai’s life so why not share just a little – there is no harm in that really and they _are_ still best friends after all, at least in Miwa’s book), and he’s never really caught much of a sign of Kai budging to it. In hindsight of that he really should have known that there would be a catch – this is _Kai_ after all – but he still hadn’t exactly expected just being handed the keys and being told (it’s actually supposed to be a question, Miwa thinks, is certain actually, but Kai sure didn’t word it like one) to look after things, because Kai’d be off for a while.

“What, I’m your maid now?” is the first reply that comes to his mind as the initial bout of surprise gives way to near endless amusement and the faintly irritated glare that Kai sends him does absolutely nothing to keep his grin from widening.

“If your don’t want the keys, you can give back them back”, he says as he reaches out to take them back, but Miwa has already taken a step back before he can come even close, shaking his head with a laugh and plays with the keys between his fingers. “Hey, hey, I didn’t say that. No need to be touchy.”

The grin drops just a little as he pulls his own keys out of his bag and adds this new one to them – eyes flickering back and forth between the keys and Kai. “This is about the VF Circuit, isn’t it? Aichi got invited the other day.”

Of course it is, Kai isn’t even pretending that it isn’t – though there is something faint hidden in his frown, something that’s distracting him, something he is worrying about and the really funny thing is that Aichi had had the exact same look in his eyes when the Manager had handed him the invitation. Something big is about to happen and if not even Aichi is sharing, then trying Kai about it is bound to end an unrewarded effort. In any case, there are things that Miwa can do and what kind of buddy would he be, if he didn’t.

“Alright then. You go do whatever you think you gotta do, and I’ll keep an eye on the things close to home in the meantime. That sound good to you?”

(And he doesn’t just mean Kai’s apartment by that but if Kai can’t figure that one out by himself yet, Miwa sure as hell isn’t going to spell it out either because that just might cost him the keys he’s just been handed. And now _that_ would be a shame.)

——

As it turns out, looking after the apartment is by far less an effort as being sub-sub-manager of Card Capital anyway – Kai keeps it organized and clean by default (which maybe shouldn’t be nearly as surprising as it is, but then again Miwa does remember what his room used to look like when they were younger) so all there really for Miwa to do is take a look maybe once a week and chase away the dust bunnies, and still his thoughts return there just as often as they do to the card shop.

Because, while Miwa hasn’t done any snooping, he most certainly isn’t blind and it doesn’t take a genius to see just how much it doesn’t look lived-in; like it’s just the place that Kai stops at in order to sleep and work and not like an actual home. It is a little worrying to think about that this is what Kai has to return to, especially when he’s so intent to act shut off already – and what kind of best friend would Miwa be if he actually let that happen.

It takes him a while to settle on what to do – whatever he does will probably cost him the keys, but Kai most likely doesn’t plan to let him keep them anyway – but eventually he settles on a simple, deep red pot with a stock of flowers and his favorite coffee cup and leaves them at the window and in the cupboard respectively; a little welcome home present and (not so) subtle reminder that Kai ought to have a little more color in his life.

(Considering the utterly unimpressed look on Kai’s face when he demands his keys back, it was very probably the plant that cost him; but if Kai gets the message then that was totally worth it.)

——

It isn’t until quite a number of months later until Miwa sees the inside of Kai’s apartment again – for all that he’s been trying to wear him down into having him over again, Kai is just as firm on that as he was before the VF Circuit, and between the Cardfight Club and Card Capital and Kai’s behavior at both there doesn’t seem to be a need for Miwa to push it.

(Not until after the small admission made at the finals of High School Regionals, a card that neither Kai nor Misaki had ever even heard about, weeks of Kai just utterly disappearing off the face of Japan, the most important cardfight that Miwa ever fought – and lost – and the very quick spiral straight to hell that follows.)

There is no awkward lingering after Link Joker is defeated and gone – or at least whatever reluctance any of the group outside Tatsunagi Corp might have felt upon seeing Kai exit the building right after Aichi is dispelled the very moment latter takes former by the wrist (leaving all to witness the most utterly startled expression that Miwa has ever seen on Kai’s face in his entire life) – but nevertheless Miwa finds himself watching Kai like a hawk in the days that follow. Not because he doesn’t trust him, not because he’s angry, but because he worries still, for all that Kai seems to have come out all right from the incident and that’s why four days _after_ he sticks himself to Kai’s shadow and doesn’t even ask if he’s welcome when he follows him home.

Pleasantly enough, Kai doesn’t protest either and just lets Miwa trail after him, lets him fill the air with small talk chatter about school and the club as he unlocks the door and nods Miwa inside. The apartment is about the same as Miwa remembers leaving behind roughly half a year ago (the cup is exactly where he’s left it), except for the dried up plant at the window, and the sight of that startles Miwa just a little, before he turns back to Kai:

“You killed my plant and now you are just leaving it to rot?”

Kai’s reply is short and utterly predictable – “Just get out your deck.” – and all that’s needed because Miwa can read what he’s really thinking just fine off his face (and no, until he gets a new one and actually takes care of it properly, it’s going to be _Miwa’s_ plant). The hours that follow are unsurprisingly spent on Miwa getting his ass kicked about a dozen times until Kai gets up without a word and starts making dinner without even asking if Miwa is staying.

Miwa just leans back with a grin, puts away the cards and sends his mother a quick text that he’s out for dinner, while he watches Kai frowning faintly in concentration as he cooks.

(He knows that Kai thinks this won’t be happening again and he also knows that Kai is utterly wrong about that . And who knows, maybe in another visit or five he’ll have Kai convinced to get a new plant for his window, because the place really could use a little more color.)

——

Indeed, in the weeks that follow Miwa invites himself over often enough for that to become something that just happens, that Kai even starts to expect happening it appears (and Miwa is very pleased with himself when he picks up on that) – and between homework and cardfights it’s not like they are running out of things to do. There is really no other way to describe those afternoons and evening as anything other than quiet and comfortable and _nice_ , especially once Miwa starts picking out evening movies or shows for them to watch (starting with the rerun of Ren’s cardfight with Leon Soryuu at the VF High School Championship finale – “You missed out that one, didn’t you?”).

Maybe it’s not really surprising that one of those nights, Miwa ends up nodding off and only startles awake again when he hears Kai sigh. He blinks and groans faintly when he finally catches a glance at the clock, but before he can stumble to his feet and gather his stuff, Kai has already caught his shoulder and is pressing him gently back to the ground.

“Don’t bother. Your mom just called; I told her you are staying over.”

Huh. Well, Miwa hadn’t exactly expected or planned for that, but he definitely isn’t about to complain either as he watches Kai move around and pull out his futon. No, definitely no complains, is the last thing he thinks when he his head hits the pillow about ten minutes later.

(He is definitely not complaining that he ends up staying over about twice a week from that day on either.)

——

Miwa doesn’t know what wakes him that night, if it’s a breeze or a noise that startles him out of his sleep, but it’s dark when he opens his eyes and squints his eyes in faint disorientation until he recognizes the legs of Kai’s bed and usually he would have sighed, turned around without wasting another thought on why he’s awake and gone back to sleeping. Except there’s that faint sound of short, deep breaths that are not his own and when Miwa turns his head, he sees Kai sitting upright and tense above him – it doesn’t take much to figure out that he must have woken right out of a nightmare.

It does take a moment for Miwa to realize the number it must have done on him though, how Kai doesn’t move, doesn’t calm as the minutes pass, and even when Miwa gets up to turn on the small desk light and calls out for him, Kai’s eyes are focused on something far away and it takes a few light shakes of his shoulder until he seems to realize that Miwa is even there. It’s a little startling to watch the relief wash away the tension on his face and in his shoulders, the obvious show of vulnerability until Kai decides to fall forward and hide it in Miwa’s shoulder (and it’s not like Miwa is entirely a stranger, Kai has let him see glimpses of weakness before – hell, he likes to fancy himself the one who sees the most – but it’s never been this utterly raw), but after a moment Miwa sighs faintly and lightly pats Kai’s back for the next minute or three and doesn’t ask.

He doesn’t really need to.

Because sometimes Miwa dreams too, has vague impressions of things he knows happened during the time he’d been reversed – impression of fighting Jun, of fighting Misaki – and sometimes of things that he thinks might have happened. Sometimes he dreams of casually leaning against Kai’s shoulders, watching him check his deck diligently in preparation for the fights ahead – against Aichi, against Ren – and maybe the scene wouldn’t be so unusual except that Kai isn’t making any move to shrug him off and Miwa finds himself whispering assurances (how he’s not going to let anyone get in the way of Kai’s ambition, how he will take down those that try, how he’s not going to let Kai do it all on his own – he wouldn’t be able to call himself his buddy otherwise after all) and he’s just a little bit crept out whenever he wakes from that muddle of what he thinks might be memories. There is no way to be sure if they are, not without asking Kai at least, because Kai remembers all of what he’s done – a side effect of accepting the Reverse voluntarily, no doubt – but there are some things that Miwa is pretty sure he doesn’t want to know for certain and this ranks very high on the list.

Some things are definitely better off left to mystery.

In any case, he can only imagine how much worse Kai’s nightmares must be if they leave him like this – he actually can do just fine without thinking too much about that he decides as he nudges Kai into joining him on the futon, content and comfortable as they settle, even though the blanket is in a bit of a tangle and snickers faintly in reply to the last thing he hears Kai mumble against his shoulder before they both drift off to sleep again, and thinks that maybe in the morning he’ll start working on getting Kai out of his habit to skip breakfast.

(“’s nice not to be alone.”

“’s what I keep telling you.”)

——

The weeks pass, their routines settle and when his mother asks him half-jokingly if he’s moving in with Kai, Miwa doesn’t even bother to deny that that’s sort of what’s been happening.

(It’s kind of hard to deny between the toothbrush, the cloths and the very new and bright plant at window that is definitely Miwa’s even though Kai was the one that bought it; and Miwa has never been the type to be dishonest with himself anyway.)

Kai has definitely noticed, has given him looks that say he has but that don’t say he’s bothered by it, and since actually saying as much is just a formality that Kai might not be entirely ready for just yet, Miwa doesn’t bother to put it into words.

…Or maybe, Miwa isn’t giving him enough credit on that after all, he thinks amused as he works on putting down the other three letters of his name on his coffee cup and thinks about the set of keys stuck in the pot above him that definitely tell another story (and he knows that Kai has been watching him ever since they entered the apartment, has been daring him to say something, but he’s going to have to wait just a little longer on that).

It’s only after he’s finally satisfied with the way he’s dotted the i of his name and he can no longer feel Kai’s eyes on him, that he gets up, grabs the keys and throws his arms over Kai’s shoulders, letting the keys dangle from his fingers as he asks: “So, am I getting demoted to being your maid again?”

He can’t help the laugh when Kai sighs in reply, acting miffed even though he’s practically radiating happiness:  “If you don’t want the keys, you can always give them back.”

“Touchy as always, eh?”, Miwa keeps the echo of the exchange they had had now almost a year ago, letting his eyes linger a few more seconds on the keys before he closes his hand around them. “Nah, I think I’ll hang onto those. Someone’s gotta keep an eye on the things close to home, you know.”

Kai is definitely laughing at that, Miwa can tell by the faint shake of his shoulders, even as he calls him an idiot in return and doesn’t shrug him off as Miwa leans a little closer so he can catch the smell of whatever Kai’s been working on for tonight’s dinner.

(Maybe in half a year or so he’ll start bothering Kai about finding a place that actually is meant for two people to live in, but for now this is just fine.

Right now, this is all either of them needs.)

—- _FIN_ —-


End file.
